Rail connector for toy railways



JunelS, 1933. L, w ROSENTHAL Q 1,914,168

RAIL CONNECTOR FOR TOY RAILWAYS Filed Dec. 4, 1930 INVENTOR QJQAQ ends oftrack and thir Patented June 13, 1933 ,I'UNITED STATES LEON W. ROSENTHAL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAIL CONNECTOR FOR TOY RAILWAYS Application filed December 4, 1930. Serial No. 499,877.

This invention relates to connectors for toy railways.

The object of this invention is to provide a connector for pining the abutting (f rails, which may be readily attached and detached and which will make good mechanical and electrical connection with said rails.

Inftoy electric railways on the market, the track and third rails are formed of metal with a hollow head, and the electrical and mechanical connection between abutting ends of adjacent rails is made bya pin extending into the hollow heads ofboth rails, these pinsusually being of metal to conduct the currentfrom one rail to the next but sometimes being-of insulating material to insulate the track or third rails into sections. The metal pins are intended to fit tightly into the heads to hold the rails in alignment and to form electrical connection there between. However, these metal pins usually become loose in the. heads of the rail, particularly if the track sections are frequently connected and disconnected, and usually the contact surfaces become rusted, particularly if the track sections are more or less permanently connected as, for instance, when fastened on a base in connected position, so 0 that for either or both reasons eflicientoperation of the trains becomes impaired. Furthermore, it is not always easy to. fasten adjoining rails together because the three pins of the track must be simultaneously aligned when adjacent track sections are moved together into operative position, and also it is notalwayseasy to disconnect the track sections without distorting portions of the rails and the ties thereof.

1 An ob'ect of my invention is to provide a connector for track and third rails, which can be'readily attached and detached without'appreciably separating the rails from their operative position and which not only forms an improved electrical joint or bond but also provides for "maintaining good alignment of the rails, I do this by provid ing connectors arranged to clampingly en- :66 gage the abutting ends of adjacent rails,

with at least a projecting portion that may be readily grasped by the operator to facilitate theremoval of the connector from the rails and the attachment thereto, or to move the connector back and forth with respect to the rails to improve the electrical contact between them at any time without dismantling the tracks. This improvement in the conductivity of the joint is particularly important in thethird rail because it alone is depended upon to conduct the train-operating current, but. it isalso important in the track rails even though the two opposite track rails are usuall connected in electri-' cal parallel .by a num er of, metal cross ties and also by the train running in that track section. ,My connectors are particularly desirable where the trackis a permanent or a sectionalized one as shown in my copend ing application Serial December 4, 1930. V

Preferably, the connector consists of a onepiece flexible or resilient metal stamping arranged to be readily placed into or removed from its operative positionby the hand of the operator, andLfor this purpose it may be provided with an integral extension to be graspedfby the fingers of the operator.

,The accompanying drawing illustrates va-.

rious forms of connectors coming within the scope of this invention. R

Fig. lis-a fragmentary view showing an:

other form of connector attached'to the webs of abutting rails; Fig. 2 is a section on'the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an edge view 7 of the connector shown in Figs. land 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing another fo'rm of connector attached to the webs of abutting rails;Fig. 5 is a section on'the line 55 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the connector shown in Figs. 4 and 5. I Y

"The rails comprise'each a head portion'l, web 2 and flange 3, and the rails are mounted onties 4, 4. In the embodiment of Figs.

' 3 and 4, the flanges of the abutting rails are shown as provided each with a'longitudinal bead 3a between which and the webs 2 there is a groove or depression 31). The connector has a rib 6a which is arranged to be seated, accommodated in or to coincide with said o. 499,878, filed 4 groove 31) when the connector is attached to the flange, so as to prevent the inadvertent slipping off of the connector from said flanges. In a less pronounced way this arrangement is also true of Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the webs of the rails are provided with a series of holes 7, 7 The connector 8 is provided with a pair of spring fingers 9, 9 which may be stamped out from the connector body. These fingers are arranged to be inserted in the holes in said webs and the connector is slid along the web, whereupon the extremity of each of said fingers will enter an adjoining hole. The fingers will then act to clampingly engage the webs and will prevent inadvertent removal of the connector from said webs. The connector is provided with projecting portions 10, 10, whereby the same may be readily grasped for attaching and detaching the connector.

The connector 11 illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is provided with spring end portions 12, 12 which are arranged to be inserted in holes 13, 13 in the webs of the rails and to thence clampingly engage said webs. This connector is provided with .a projecting portion 14 to afford a grasp for the operator in attaching and detaching the same.

Having described my invention, 'what .I claim is:

1. In a toy railway, the combination with abutting rails having apertured webs adjacent their abutting ends, of a connector for said rails having resilient fingers arranged to pass through said apertures and to be slid over said webs to clam-pingly engage said webs.

.2. A connector for toy railway rails comprising a main body member and a pair of spring fingers punched from said body at spaced points thereof and bent substantially parallel thereto, said fingers being adapted to enter openings in the rail ends and grip the rails.

3. In combination, a pair of toy rails having their ends abutting and provided with apertures in their webs adjacent said ends, and a connector therefor comprising acnepiece metal stamping having a main body portion and preformed spring clamping portions inserted through said apertures and clampingly engaging said webs.

4. In combination, a pair of'toy rails having their ends abuttingand provided with apertures in their Webs adjacent said ends, and a connector comprising a one-piece metal stamping having a main body portion and preformed spring clamping fingers projected through said apertures and clampingly engaging said webs, said connector being .arranged to be snapped into and out of operative position by merely pushing or pulling on the same. 7 V

5. In combination, a pairoftoy rails having their ends abutting and provided with apertures in their webs adjacent said ends, and a connector comprising a one-piece stamping having a main body portion and spring clamping fingers preformed to lie in a plane parallel with the body portion, said fingers being projected through said apertures and clampingly engaging said webs, said connector being arranged to be slid sidewise along said webs to more securely hold said connector in place.

6. A connector for toy rails comprising a one-piece metal stamping having a main body portion and preformed spring clamping fingers lying in a plane substantially parallel to that of the .main body portion, said fingers being adapted to enter openings in the rail ends .and grip the rails.

7 A connector for toy rails comprising :a one-piece metal stamping having a main body portion, preformed spring..-clarnping fingers lying in a plane substantially parallel to that of the main body portion, and a projecting portion to be grasped by the .fi-ngers of the operator, said fingers being adapted to enter openings in the rail ends and grip the rails. r

8. A connector for toy rails comprising ,a one-piece metal stamping having a main body portion, spring clamping fingers punched out from said body portion, and a projecting portion to begrasped by the fingers of the operator, said fingers being adapted to enter openings in the railends and grip the rails.

9. A connector for toy rails comprising a one-piece sheet metal strip the ends of which are preformed with spring fingersin position to enter openings in the rail to secure the ends of the rail togetherin alignment.

10. A connector for toy rails comprising a one-piece sheet metal strip the ends of which are preformed with spring fingers and the body of which is preformed with a projection to be grasped by .the fingers of the operator, said fingers .being adapted to enter openings in the railends and grip the rails.

11. A connector for toy rails comprising a one-piecesheet metal strip preformed with spaced spring fingers in position 'to enter openings in the rail to secure the ends of the rail together in alignment.

7 12. A connector for toy rails comprising a one-piece sheet metal strip preformed with spaced spring fingers and a projection to be grasped by the fingers of the operator, said fingers being adapted to enter openings in the rail ends and grip the mile. 7

13. In .a toy railway, the combination with abutting rails having apertured webs adjacent their abutting ends, of .a onepiece metal connector for said rails having spring fingers at the ends thereof passing through said apertures and clampingly engaging said Webs.

14. In a toy railway, in combination, abutting rails having apertured Webs adjacent their abutting ends, and a connector comprising a one-piece sheet metal strip preformed With spaced spring fingers passing through said apertures and clampmgly engaging said Webs.

15. In a toy railway, in combination, abutting rails having apertured Webs adjacent their abutting ends, and a connector comprising a one-piece sheet metal strip preformed With spaced spring fingers passing through said apertures and clampingly engaging said Webs, and said connector having also a preformed projection to be grasped by the fingers of the operator.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LEON W. ROSENTHAL. 

